Support for hinged or other movable members.



No..729,-530. PATENTED JUNE 2,1903.

L. I. BBRKOWITZ.

SUPPORT FOR HINGED OR OTHER MOVABLE'MEMBERS.

. APPLIUATION FILED FEB. '26, 1902.

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L. 1. BBRKOWITZ.

SUPPORT FORVHINGED OROTHER MOVABLE MEMBERS.,

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 26, 1902.

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. UNITED STATES:

Patented June 2, 1 903.

PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS I. BERKOWITZ, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS SPECIFICATION :iiormirlg' part Of Letters Patent NO. 729,530, dated June 2, 1903.

Application filed February 26, 1,902. Serial No. 95i682. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS 1. BERKOWITZ, a subject of Nicholas II, Czar of Russia, residing at Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented anew and useful Improvement in- Supports for Hinged or other Movable Members, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this'specification, in explaining its nature.

The invention relates to a holding-arm or suspending device for a hinged or other member movable with respect to a fixed or stationary part, and especially to that element of the arm or support which pertains to its automatic engagement and release when it becomes'necessary to lower or otherwise adjust the movable member.

I will now describe myinvention in con nection with the drawings, wherein.

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation showing the movable member in open and closed positions. Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the operation of the automatic engagement and release, depending upon the movement of the movable member. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is the same as Fig. 3, but shows the supporting-arm elevated into the retaining-section of the holder. Fig. 5 shows the holder as fixed, the supporting-arm being lifted into-its retaining-section. Fig. 6 is the same as Fig. 5, but showing the position ofthe supporting-arm when about to be withdrawn from the retainingsection of the holder.

In the drawings, A represents the fixed member or frame; A, the movable member, hinged or otherwise fastened to the fixed member and which'when raised into position is adapted to widen or form a continuation of its upper surface. The members may be of any suitable construction. In the drawings I have represented themsimply as bars, preferably of wrought-iron, the movable member A being pivoted to the fixed member A at the point a. The movable side pieces of a couch or the leaves of a table would also represent the movable member, and for their support and adjustment myinvention wouldwhich holds the movable member in its elevated position. It forms a hinged or pivotal connection with A at the point I). The supporting arm has a notch or notches b out upon its under edge or side, which as the bar extends downward come in contact with and look into a fixed plate or bar having a defined edge, which plate or bar holds the supporting-arm, and so the movable member, in an elevated or other adjusted position corresponding with the relative position of the notch or notches, as in Fig. 1, the movable member being held in elevated position to continue the top surface of the stationary member. I have shown asa preferable construction for obtaining this adjustment the bar B extending through a vertical slot 01. in the side leg to the fixed member. The slot has the de-' fined edge a along which the under edge of the supporting-arm has its normal bearing, and the edge fittinginto the notch or notches 1) holds the supporting arm, as before described. It is to be observed in this connection that the notchb is so out that a locking engagement can be made with the holding edge a only upon the lowering of the movable member and the consequent insertion of the supporting-arm. The movable member may be raised and the'supporting-arm withdrawn without interference. With this means for the retention and adjustment of the supporting-arm in order to lower the movable member A it would be necessary to lift the supporting-arm and hold it so elevated that when the movable member was lowered and the supporting-arm thrust inward it would no longer bear with its notched edge against the locking plate or bar and when a locking engagement could no longer be made be brought back to its normal hearing. It is also desirable that the result should automatically be obtained through direct movement of the movable member, as by lifting or lowering the same. I have employed for this purpose the holder B, preferably pivoted to the fixed member at the point 6 The holder consists of a plate having a looped or slotted end, through a section of which the supporting-arm B may pass, but which is so made that when the supporting-arm is sufliciently raised the narrowing sides of the slot or loop will yieldingly grasp the arm and hold it in its elevated position. A simple means for making a holder of this kind is seen in Fig. 3. It is made ofa single piece of metal brought around at its end to make the loop or slot b and having a springing side bflwhich, narrowingat the point b permits of the holding and retention of the supporting-arm, as before described. The arm B may be lifted into this retaining-section of the holder by upward movement of the movable member A. Assume A to be in elevated position, as shown in Fig. 1, it is now drawn up to a position indicated in Fig. 2. By this movementthe supporting-arm is so withdrawn that its notched edge no longer makes a locking engagement with edge a but bears against the edge at the point Z beyond the notch. Now if the member A be further elevated the supporting-arm becomes fulcrumed against thelocking edge 0. and is drawn up into the narrowing section of holder B and there retained. The movable member A now being lowered, the supporting-arm B, thus retained by the holder B, swings upward clear of the locking edge, as may be seen from the dotted lines of Fig. 2. The holderB being pivoted swings with the arm and retains it in its elevated position until interference with the notch b can no longer be made with the locking edge a which distance may be determined by the end of the holder being brought in contact with the side post to the fixed frame. The holder being held fixed, the supporting-arm may bewithdrawn by a continued downward movement of the movable member and brought to resume its normal bearing against the locking edge a back of the notch 12, as seen in Fig. 1, where the movable member is shown in closed position.

The contact of the holder B against the side post to the stationary frame is not necessary to the practical working of my inven-' tion, for if by any other means the holder B could be held fixed after it had carried the supporting-arm, sothata locking engagement with its notched edge could nolonger be made, such would suffice, and the arm B could be withdrawn.

The supporting-arm could also be withdrawn after its notched edge has cleared the edge a if the inner end of the supportingarm is held against an upward movement. This is accomplished by making the slot at in the side post of the frame of sufficient vertical length only to permit of the clearing manipulation of the supporting-arm as it is car ried inward by the holder, so that when the supporting-arm has been carried inward a sufiicient distance to avoid a locking engagement it may then be brought to bear along its upper edge against the upper cut edge of the slot, when the arm may be withdrawn to resume its normal bearing upon a continued downward movement of the movable member, as before explained.

It is unnecessary that the holder B be movable. The essence of my invention consists in a holder capable of grasping the supporting-arm when drawn up into its retainingsection by upward movement of the movable member and a holder also capable of holding the arm in elevated position until a locking engagement has been avoided and the arm withdrawn to resume its normal hearing. This necessitates a holder holding the supporting-arm clear of the locking edge as the arm is thrown inward by movement of the movable member and a holder capable also of a yielding retention that after a locking engagement has been avoided the arm may be withdrawn by any of the methods before explained. It is unnecessary, therefore, that the holder B be movable. In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown the holder as fixed. The construction of the fixed is the same as the movable holder, and both are preferably attached at the point b -to the upper bar of the fixed frame. When the fixed holder is used, the supporting-arm upon an upward movement of the movable member is drawn up into its retaining-section, as before explained; but upon a reverse movement of the movable member instead of the holder being movable to carry the supporting-arm as it is thrust inward the supporting-arm turns in the retaining-section of the holder as upon a pivot, its notched edge turns upwardly from the looking edge a (see Fig. 5,) and the arm is drawn, or rather thrust, through the retaining-section of the holder until a locking engagementcan no longer be made, (see Fig. 6,) when the arm may be withdrawn to resume its normal hearing, as before explained.

As for the attachment of the holder to the frame it need not necessarily be to the top bar of the frame; but attachment may be made at other points and the same function performed. As said before, the essential feature of the holder is its retaining-section for holding the supporting-arm in elevated position away from the locking edge, and to perform this function the holder may occupy a variety of positions relatively to the supporting-arm, whether the arm be vertically or otherwise movable.

The preferable construction is the one represented, where the holder is fastened to the top bar of the stationary member or frame and then proceeding down to loop the supporting-armprovides the retaining-section by its upturned springing side.

When a movable holder is employed, it may be conveniently pivoted at this point, that it may swing against the side of the frame and the supporting-arm withdrawn, as before explained. If the holder is fixed, as in Fig. 5,

tention and support.

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in whichthe holder may be applied under varying conditions makes it especially applicable for such use.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States- 1. The combination of a fixed member, a hinged member attached thereto, an arm for the support and elevated retention of the movable member, means for locking the said supporting-arm in an adjusted position, and

a holder mounted to provide a yieldingly,

grasping and retaining member above said arm, adapted to yieldingly grasp said arm when elevated by movement of the hinged member, and so to hold the same clear of the locking adjustment aforesaid,that the hinged member may become lowered, and means for effecting the release of the arm, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a fixed member, a hinged member attached thereto, an arm for the support and elevated retention of the movable member, having a notched under edge, and a hold-er mounted to provide a grasping and retaining member above said arm, adapted to yieldingly grasp the same when elevated by continued upward movement of the movable member, and hold the same clear of the edge aforesaid during the reverse movement thereof, that the hinged member maybecome lowered, and means for effecting the release of the arm, substantially as described.

3. The combination of a fixed member, a hinged member attached thereto,an 'arm for the support and elevated retention of the movable member, having a notched under edge, a locking plate or bar against which the said arm is adapted to bear along its notched edge, and a holder mounted to provide a grasping and retaining section above said arm, and adapted to yieldingly grasp and retain said arm when elevated by continued upward movement of the movable member, and hold the same clear of the locking edge aforesaid upon. a reverse movement thereof, means for the support of said holder, and means for effecting the release of the arm therefrom, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a fixed member, a

hinged member attached thereto, an arm of i some considerable length for the support and elevated retention of the movable member, said arm having a notched under edge, a looking plate or bar against which the said arm is adapted to bear along its notched edge, and against which the end of the arm aforesaid may become fulcrumed, for eifecting the elevation of the said arm when drawn out upon a continued upward movement of the movable member, a holder for receiving andretaining said arm in its elevated position when thus drawnout and up, that the locking edge aforesaid may be avoided upon reverse movement of the arm, and means for then efiecting the release of the arm, substantially as described. V

5. The combination with a hinged member, of a supporting -arm B, means for locking said armin adjusted position, and'a holder B mounted above said arm to extend down around the same and provide a looped sec tion through which the said arm 'is adapted to play, and a yieldingly grasping and retaining section for the yielding retention and automatic adjustment of the said arm, substantially as and for the purposes set forth;

6. The combination of a fixed member, a hinged member attached thereto, an arm for the support and elevated retention of the movable member, having a notched under edge which assumes a normal hearing against the edge, a locking plate or bar, the said locking plate'or bar, and means'consisting of a holder mounted to prdvide a grasping and retaining section, which yieldingly grasps and retains said arm when fulcrumed against the drawing edge aforesaid, and so raised by upward movement of the movable member,'that upon reverse movement thereof the said arm may return in the said retaining-section of the said holder, and swing clear along its notched k edge of the locking plate or bar aforesaid, when the said arm may become released by continued downward movement of the hinged or movable member, and means for support-' ing said holder, substantially as described.

LOUIS I. BERKOWITZ.

In presence ot J. M. DOLAN,

SAUL SIPPERSTEIN. 

